Horseradish in Ireland

Blowin · Posted: Fri Apr 16, 2010 7:36 am Post subject: Horseradish in Ireland

Having now got my Michael Brenock book, I've browsed it with a view to devoting part of the garden to perennial herbs.

I found no mention of horseradish which, apart from seeming to grow anywhere, can be difficult to stop. Is it growable in Ireland?

medieval knievel · Posted: Sat Apr 17, 2010 10:13 pm Post subject:

yep, a friend's father grows loads of the stuff.

michael brenock · Posted: Sun Apr 18, 2010 11:20 am Post subject:

horse radish was one of the crops which I omitted. I am very familiar with it and while it is easy to grow it needs destructive harvesting, killing off plant to use it. it grows wild in many places but it is impossible to get plant roots at garden centres. it can still be planted at this time of year into well drained light to medium soil of low to medium fertility..
michael brenock horticultural advisor (retired)

medieval knievel · Posted: Sun Apr 18, 2010 9:29 pm Post subject:

Blowin · Posted: Mon Apr 19, 2010 9:39 am Post subject:

Thanks both of you. I'll research locally but, if that fails, I now see Dobies do them.

kindredspirit · Posted: Mon Apr 19, 2010 8:51 pm Post subject:

When I was a kid on our allotment, I used to dig horseradish up out of the ground and eat it raw. Brush off the dirt and munch, munch, munch!

It's very good for you.

davidh · Posted: Tue Apr 20, 2010 1:11 pm Post subject:

A friend of mine in South West England told me his neighbour grew loads of the stuff. He got 7 roots popped hem in a moistened freezer bag and then a jiffy bag, posted them over and they were grand. I havem in a patch of their own, well watered in and now they are starting to sprout !

medieval knievel · Posted: Fri Apr 08, 2011 5:56 pm Post subject:

mine is beginning to put up what look like flowerheads; should i chop them off?

michael brenock · Posted: Sat Apr 09, 2011 8:03 pm Post subject:

If this is the plants first year then remove the blossom head otherwise leave them grow. When harvesting cut off the top portion of the stem 2-3 inches and put back into the ground and will often re-grow. It becomes a weed if left to itself as it will grow from seeds.
michael brenock horticultural advisor (retired)

simonj · Posted: Mon Apr 11, 2011 3:40 pm Post subject:

I planted a horseradish thong last year, and aim to propagate from root cuttings this year.
Apparently it is a good companion crop for potatos- so I will propagate it at the end of the ridges I put in.
After the amount of work that took, to reclaim land for the potato bed, those ridges better be productive.

Lazybeds me arse, I hate oxymorons.

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